1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle heating apparatus to be mounted on or built in a vehicle seat. The present disclosure also relates to a heater-equipped vehicle seat including the vehicle heating apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
As seats for vehicles such as wheeled vehicles, heater-equipped vehicle seats capable of supplying warm air to the lower legs of occupants have been conventionally proposed.
JP 2011-254882 A discloses a heater-equipped vehicle seat 200 in which an air conditioner 210 is disposed within a seat cushion 211B, as shown in FIG. 17. The air conditioner 210 has an intake port 202, an intake duct 204A, an air blower 206, a pair of discharge ducts 204B, a pair of heaters 207, and a pair of discharge ports 203. The heater 207 is disposed within each of the pair of discharge ducts 204B. The intake port 202 and the pair of discharge ports 203 open in a forward direction from the heater-equipped vehicle seat 200, and are arranged side by side in a horizontal direction. In addition, the discharge port 203 is provided with a fin 203A for directing air discharged from the discharge port 203 downwardly.
JP 2012-183154 A discloses a heater-equipped vehicle seat 300 including, as shown in FIG. 18, a seat cushion 311B, a leg rest member 308, an air blower 306, and a duct 304. A portion of the duct 304 is formed in the leg rest member 308. Warm air delivered from the air blower 306 is supplied toward the lower legs of an occupant through the duct 304.